Letter on Health Care to Senator Lieberman

September 24, 2009


Senator Joseph Lieberman
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator:

Once again I write you to ask you to support universal and affordable health care. It is a moral imperative to provide health care to all our citizens. Indeed, Maimonides ranked health care first on his list of the ten most important communal services that a city had to offer to its residents (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot De'ot IV: 23).

Although a single government-run system would be simpler and probably cheaper, I think we can agree that switching from the current employer-based, private insurance provided system would be highly disruptive. Therefore, I think we can agree that reforming the current system to reduce costs, ensure access, and mandate participation is the best way to reform our terribly broken health care system.

The Obama Administration has proposed the creation of an Exchange in which private insurance carriers can offer coverage to the 45 million Americans without coverage. To set a benchmark and ensure that such coverage is reasonably priced, the Administration, the House bills, and the HEAL bill all create a public insurance company, initially funded with governmental money, but then forced to run on a break-even basis. This is the so-called public option. Frankly, this public option is essential to make the system function. Without the public option, we could well end up with mandated coverage that is priced at an unaffordable level. Stated otherwise, substantially expanding coverage is not viable without the public option. And, substantially expanding coverage is the moral imperative of this legislation.

Reforming health care has numerous facets. We need to prevent insurance companies from excluding individuals from coverage or increasing premiums for pre-existing conditions. We need to stop insurance companies from unilaterally changing or terminating coverage when an individual gets sick. We need to compensate doctors based on a comprehensive system of care, not based on number of tests ordered. We need to lift the burden of uncompensated care off our hospitals. We need to focus on wellness and prevention not on terminal care. And, we need to check the runaway inflation in the Medicare program. If you work constructively with your colleagues on the Finance Committee, these goals can be achieved.

Senator, I ask your support of universal, affordable health care.

Sincerely yours,


Andrew Feinstein